Sequel teeters on edge of absurdity

In Renee Zellweger's second attempt at the wildly-successful character of Bridget Jones, one must always keep in mind the movie title -- "The Edge of Reason" -- because that's exactly where the movie keeps you: hanging on the edge between reality and complete disbelief. \nThe movie begins six weeks after the previous movie ended, and Bridget is thoroughly engrossed in her new relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Having achieved everything she's dreamed of, Bridget is incredibly happy, but through her own self-questioning, the walls of the blissful union soon come tumbling down. Jones was elated in the last movie that Darcy "likes her just the way she is," but six weeks into it and she seems to have forgotten his proclamation. She becomes awkward and paranoid, not really willing to believe they'll live happily ever after.\nWhat made the last film so charming was Bridget's final acceptance of all her flaws. This film tears that acceptance to pieces and makes her the bumbling new girlfriend doing everything wrong. The gag jokes about her mishaps are tired by the second film -- even an opening scene of Bridget falling backside-first into a camera is played out. And, of course, jokes at the expense of her weight come a little too often to be funny.\nBy halfway through the film, Bridget's issues with her new beau -- including class differences and the fact he folds his underwear before they go to bed -- lead her to accuse him of an affair and break things off. Luckily for Bridget, the infamous Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) is there to pick up the pieces. Grant does the best he can playing the smarmy Cleaver, but this guy is even less charming than he was in the first film. He's a bad boy with no redeeming characteristics.\nAnd then comes the low-point: a girl-on-girl kiss between Bridget and the woman she thinks Darcy is having an affair with. Sure, it might be the element that will get boyfriends into the theater, but it is so out of the realm of reality it's almost painful. It's almost as unbelievable as the rematch between Cleaver and Darcy -- as schoolboy as ever.\nOf course, in the end, Bridget lives happily ever after, but not before she's gone on a journey that laughs at her own expense, relies on the same-old sight gags and lacks the emotional connection of the first film. Sure, everyone's happy for Bridget, but the plot doesn't develop the relationship enough for the audience to have a stake in it. The elation felt with the kiss in the snow in the last movie is noticeably absent and regretfully so.